(Editor’s note: The Times-Journal is profiling each of the four candidates running for mayor)

Four years ago Steve Wookey’s passion for politics and St. Thomas lead him to seek and ultimately snag a spot on city council.

Since then his passion has grown and now he’s eyeing the mayor’s spot in the upcoming municipal election on Oct. 22.

“Why I’m running for mayor, it’s pretty simple,” he said. “I think this is the best way for me to help people doing something I love.”

The 54-year-old has been a teacher for 29 years and said he’s ready to retire if the need arises.

“So this is, to me, the next logical step in helping people, helping the community.”

Steve Wookey is finishing up his first term as a member of council and is eyeing the mayorâs spot in the upcoming municipal election on Oct. 22. He grew up across the pond from Pinafore Park, worked at there in the summer as a teen and remembers the centennial monument being a spot of fond memories. (LAURA BROADLEY, Times-Journal)

Since his campaign started Wookey has been an advocate for the creation of a dialysis unit at the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital. He saw his father go through dialysis and knows firsthand what a dialysis unit close to home would do for patients.

“As our population in St. Thomas grows and ages, and the population in London grows and ages, we’re going to need more dialysis chairs anyway,” Wookey said.

Wookey knows the funding for a dialysis unit comes from the provincial government, but said he can help influence that funding to funnel to St. Thomas.

If he were elected mayor, Wookey wants continue knocking on residents’ doors to ask what they want from their local government. He’s proposing an annual door-knocking effort by council members to go out and ask citizens their perspective on certain issues.

“I think that’s a direct thing that city council can do to find out what people want, and isn’t that our job?”

As a councillor, Wookey recently voted in favour of the city applying to remove the order on the former Alma College site that required a replica facade to be built. The polarizing issue was hotly debated amongst residents of St. Thomas.

“I think really this comes down to what’s the greatest good for the greatest number?”

But that’s not a rule that Wookey applies to every vote because fairness is also a factor.

“If it really is detrimental to one person but helps three others, maybe it’s just so grossly unfair on that person that that’s not good,” he said.

The health unit distributed 250,000 needles in one year and Wookey knows the city is dealing with an issue of improperly discarded needles.

“In the end, you don’t want perception to become reality,” he said. “The reality is, are there needles everywhere? No, but there are certain places where there’s lots of needles.”

Wookey said city resources need to be diverted to make city-owned property clear of used needles.